PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This application is for one year of support for the workshop "The Mouse as a Instrument for Ear Research IV" to be held at The Jackson Laboratory (Jackson) in Bar Harbor Maine on September 19-23, 2010. We are currently in the midst of a genetics revolution that promises to push "breakthrough" biomedical research to new levels. A large part of this revolution depends upon the analysis of the relationships between genes and their effects on complex biological systems and phenotypes. Investigators must become increasingly skilled in the application of genetic models to address a variety of important biological questions. The objective of this workshop is to provide a forum for researchers and students to learn techniques relating to the use of mouse genetic tools to understand audio-sensory neurobiology in humans. Researchers using the mouse will be able to expand their knowledge of techniques from other experts in the field working with other models and interest in issues relating to concordance between model systems and translation to the clinic. This four day workshop will include both introductory and high level scientific talks in the morning and evening sessions, with afternoons set aside for tutorials and hands-on sessions. Short presentations will elaborate on techniques demonstrated in the tutorials and provide examples of cutting edge research. Most presentations will be invited lectures by the organizers but there are times available for contributed papers and short abstract talks. Ultimately, this workshop will bring students and established investigators with varying expertise and experience together to discuss their research, identify areas of common interest and learn state of the art techniques in auditory research and data analysis.